The 11th stage was an untimed session in Mauritania as competitors rested for half a day in Nema before heading to Ayoun-el-Atrous, a small town 174 miles away. In December, officials decided to cancel the planned stage between Timbuktu and Nema, due to safety concerns. Thursday’s 12th stage is a 300-mile trip between Ayoun and Kayes. Stephane Peterhansel of France is the overall leader, 9:56 ahead of defending champion Luc Alphand. American Robby Gordon remained 23rd and remained in eighth place overall, 6 hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds behind Peterhansel. The 15-stage race began in Lisbon, Portugal, and ends in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday.(FoxSports)(1-18-2007)
